Autumn is officially here: outside in Northants it’s dull and dreary, yet in the music world it is anything but. If you need to hear the best new releases in mainstream and alternative then look no further – here is a playlist to keep the good vibes going.

Sabrina Carpenter was arguably the Queen of Summer, and is still riding high in the charts, but how do we keep her hits sounding fresh into autumn? Good Neighbours have the answer. Their cover of ‘Espresso’ for triple j’s ‘Like A Version’ takes the pop classic and gives it an indie shakeup; it’s got a simplistic garage band feel with a carefree spin on the chorus. Reminiscent of the Arctic Monkeys’ Live Lounge cover of Girls Aloud’s ‘Love Machine’ – it gives a cool edge but proves what strong foundations stood before.

If you like your pop as nature intended, then Kylie Minogue is your saviour. ‘Edge of Saturday Night’, a collaboration with The Blessed Madonna, is the most exciting track so far of Tension II. It embodies what is so great about Kylie, evolving her sound to suit the five decades that her career has spanned. This track has a drum machine working in overtime, a bassline that doesn’t give up and keys that belong in electronica. It’s got an intensity and relief ratio to match some of the best dance hits around but gives a slight nod to the 80s – a party starter that goes well with a glass of Kylie label Prosecco.

Something perhaps better suited to the more relaxed autumn nights is Lady Blackbird’s new single ‘Let Not (Your Heart Be Troubled)’. It’s instantly relaxed: a crackle of vinyl and a softened drum fill to introduce the choral vocals. The song has its soul planted in the Sixties but is at the same time timeless; it’s warming and luxurious, a remedy to the dampeners of the season.

Fans of Bastille can look forward to their latest album, ‘“&” (Ampersand)’, a project influenced by classics such as Paradise Lost. The single ‘Blue Sky & The Painter’ harks back to the sound of the seminal ‘Bad Blood’ album, meaning that the spirit of ‘Oblivion’ and ‘These Streets’ lives on a decade later. Dan Smith’s trademark ethereal vocal meets a heavy bass and lead guitar, making sure that the themes of innocence and guilt are infused in both lyric and sound.

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, ‘How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb’ will be re-released by U2. The ‘Re-Assemble Edition’ features 10 previously unreleased tracks, including the latest single ‘Country Mile’. The track fits in perfectly with material from the original album; it has the same grandeur as ‘City of Blinding Lights’, achieved by The Edge’s urgent guitar work undercutting the softer side of Bono’s vocal. It is classic U2, but it’s more than welcome in 2024.

So, we’ve come to the end of the autumn round up, and it’s safe to say that whatever the seasonal weather brings, there should be something here to stop you making a premature reach for the Bublé Christmas album. Sorry Michael.